Guest Post: Open Letter from Bob Law - There is Indeed a Message In the Music

By Gloria DULAN-Wilson

Hello All!!

I'm sharing this letter with you from one of our venerable sages, Bob Law, of WBAI.FM and The Black Talk Radio Network.  Bob has always been involved in and concerned about the Black community - and now moreso than ever.  And I agree with his concerns - and have for quite some time. 

 

I think it's high time we reign in the rampant disparaging lyrics and imagery purveyed on a regular basis by what is euphemistically called the music industry.  I have recently stated that any resemblance between music and what is being played over the radio, TV, streaming or performing live is purely coincidental. 

If you wonder why our children are increasingly disrespectful; are more prone to use profanity than to speak civilly and intelligently to adults, or their peers; or why they feel it's appropriate to shoot each other - for no apparent intelligent reason, look to the ersatz music that is being played and pushed all over the media. 

As one who supports the National Congress of Black Women's principles, I wrote an article in reference to the NAACP and the Essence Awards catering to the blatant denigration of Black women, Black men and Black people by their intended awardees.

I think it's wonderful that Brother Bob Law is speaking out about this.  I hope parents, educators, civic leaders, elected officials - and above all, our youth, are listening and taking action to stop the madness. We don't have to have others hate us or put us down, or demean us - we're doing an excellent job of doing it for them.  As Brother Bob Law says in the letter below:  STOP IT! - GDW

Letter from Bob Law:

August 1, 2021
National Black Leadership Alliance Open Letter
nblanow@gmail.com
There Is Indeed A Message In The Music

Earlier this year, the Grammys and the NAACP image awards were given to songs that called for the killing of Black people and the abuse and degradation of Black women. These kinds of songs also remain in heavy rotation on radio stations that target Black audiences like Chicago's WGCI and WPWX as well as New York’s Hot 97 and Power 105.
 

Consider this lyric “ Coupe! Got the missing roof, your boo came up missing too. Poof! I just stole your boo, now ooh she gon’ eat the whole crew.” Or this one “Headshot a nigga ass to see what his mind do. Catch him at a red light or a F***in drive through.”

To understand our concern, it is helpful to understand the emotional, as well as the political significance and influence of music. It was Confucius, the ancient paragon of Chinese sages who said “If one should desire to know if a kingdom is well governed, if its morals are good or bad, the quality of its music will furnish the answer.”
 

Music touches us in ways that other art forms cannot, it is not only in the lyrics as noted musician David Byrne and others have explained, it is also the combination of sounds, rhythms, and vocal textures that communicate in ways that bypass the reasoning centers of the brain and go straight to our emotions. Poet Larry Neal (Lincoln Alumnus), one of the architects of the Black Arts movement of the 1960’s said “It is indeed the music that can affirm our highest possibilities.” That may be precisely why the best of our music is being removed.

It is also important to understand that in in this society, music conveys social status. Consider the higher level of sophistication associated with opera or classical music, or the level of cool and hip sophistication associated with the music of Coltrane, Monk and Miles.

While we do indeed like the music we also tend to like the company it puts us in. In this sense the music creates its own community including a lifestyle that is validated by the acceptance of the music. It is the music that validates the “Gangsta.”

When the Chicago based Clear The Airwaves Project appealed to the FCC, the commission's response was that they trusted the white owners of the radio stations to determine what was in the best interest of the Black audience.
 

When the National Congress Of Black Women appealed to Harvey Mason Jr. thinking that a Black man, as head of the Grammy committee, would make a difference; that he would at least be sensitive to the concerns of Black women, he ignored them.

We doubt that this music would even be considered for a grammy or a NAACP image award if these songs referred instead to any other marginalized group. What if we substitute the negative word “nigga” and inserted a word like “faggot” or “Jew.” Just insert that one word so that the song now says, “My daughter a G, she saw me kill a Jew in front of her before the age of two, and I’ll kill another jew too fore I let another Jew do something to you” or remove the word nigga from this lyric and say instead “I don’t like faggots, I don’t like bit***s, I don’t like nobody (nobody, nobody)”

We seriously doubt that Harvey Mason Jr. or the NAACP Image award committee would condone any such lyrics; nor would the Black program directors like Johnnie D. Glover and Jay Alan at Black music radio stations condone and accept such music.  It appears that this music is worthy of airplay, recognition and awards if it clearly only targets Black people.

It seems that it is up to the Black community to take the necessary steps to demand respect. If you are opposed to music that calls for the death of Black people and the ongoing degradation of Black women, TURN IT OFF. If it is being played on any given radio station, TURN OFF THE RADIO. Turn off any source of music that is playing lyrics that calls for the killing of Black People.

TURN IT OFF!!

NOW THAT YOU KNOW

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

Stay Blessed &

ECLECTICALLY BLACK

Gloria DULAN-Wilson